Seared Scallops on Cauliflower Puree with Pomegranate Seeds
I have been working to revamp all of the old recipes on the blog to get them up to date. This was a memorable meal for us. I don’t get pomagranates that often so I love to celebrate them when I do. A little bit goes a long way and in this meal they add a wonderful brightness.
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Seared Scallops on Cauliflower Puree with Pomegranate Seeds
Serves 2
- 8 – 10 Scallops
- 2 TBS all purpose flour
- 1 TBS cornmeal
- 1 tsp salt
- 1 TBS canola oil
- 1/2 cup pomegranate seeds
- 3 cups cauliflower florets
- 2 tsp butter
- 1/2 cup grated cheddar cheese
- 1/2 cup whole milk or half and half
- salt and pepper to taste
Make the cauliflower puree:
- Either boil or steam the cauliflower until it is very soft
- Add the butter and milk/half and half and puree with a stick blender or in a blender until smooth.
- Return to heat on low. add the cheese and stir until melted and blended. Adjust seasoning. Keep warm
Pan fry the Scallops:
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- Heat a cast iron pan until hot.
- Mix the flour, cornmeal and salt.
- Dust the scallops on both sides with the mixture.
- Add the oil to the hot pan and swirl.
- Add the scallops the pan and cook on each side for three minutes until just done.
Plate the Meal:
- Serve the scallops on top of the puree, sprinkle with the pomegranate seeds.
How Were the Seared Scallops?
They were very good. I know everyone says no cheese with seafood but the cheese was with the cauliflower. OK – so I broke a rule. The sweet scallops on the rich, creamy cauliflower puree was pure heaven. And very rich. The pomegranate seeds were the perfect foil. The dish really did need something to cut through all of that richness and surprisingly the seeds were the answer. I was amazed that they worked as well as they did – I did a small taste test of the puree with a couple of seeds before I added them and was quite pleased so I sprinkled them on. Sometimes the best dishes are the result of serendipity.
Scallops are my favorite shellfish and I love to pair them with fruit like when I made Scallops with Cherries and Pumpkin Seeds. I look forward to that dish every summer when I have fresh cherries. Actually if you follow the blog you probably notice that I often pair seafood with fruit. Just recently I made Chilean sea bass with thyme and oranges. I just love to use fruit in my recipes.
